Yoga relaxes you and, by relaxing, heals. "The autonomic nervous system is divided into the sympathetic system, which is often identified with the fight-or-flight response, and the parasympathetic, which is identified with what's been called the Relaxation Response," explains Richard Faulds, the former President of the acclaimed Kripalu Center. "When you do yoga - the deep breathing, the stretching, the movements that release muscle tension, the relaxed focus on being present in your body - you initiate a process that turns the fight-or-flight system off and the Relaxation Response on. That has a dramatic effect on the body. The heartbeat slows, respiration decreases, blood pressure decreases. The body seizes this chance to turn on the healing mechanisms."

But the process isn't automatic. Especially in their first sessions, yoga students may have trouble relaxing and focusing on just them and not everyone around them. Yoga is not a struggle but surrender. It may take a while for the bulb to switch on - for you to get the truth of what yoga is all about - that it is not what you should do but what your body is able to do. But when it happens, it's an epiphany, like suddenly knowing, in your bones and your dreams, the foreign language you've been studying for months. In yoga, this is your mind-body language.

So who is yoga for? People of all ages and abilities can benefit. See if you find a category that you fit in.

YOGA FOR WOMEN
Yoga can help women cope with health issues and help them develop the state of their body and mind. It can help alleviate the pain that goes with menstruation, help manage stress, and ensure an easier delivery for pregnant women. Yoga poses are also designed to tone and exercise the muscles of the body to eliminate excess fat, and make it more flexible and stronger. What about weight loss? This is a question frequently asked. Unfortunately, so many women live for the moment and want to be the perfect weight. The mirror reminds them that they aren't quite there. The poses offered in yoga aren't always going to make women thin or lose weight, but through the poses and breathing exercises women can get inside themselves. They make a connection they might not have had before. Yoga can teach women that whatever weight they are, that they are the perfect weight in the moment. Once women figure that out, they can begin losing weight because they start feeling better about themselves. Yoga is learning to accept yourself exactly as you are.

YOGA FOR MEN
Yoga has much to offer men of any age. It is one of the few physical activities that has a "de-compacting" effect on the body. (Swimming and gymnastics are other examples). This is essential to counter the effects of gravity associated with activities such as running or jogging. Yoga also provides much needed "symmetry relief" to such asymmetric endeavors as racquet sports and golf, which torque the spine in only one direction. Yoga also supplies flexibility that can help in safely practicing power sports and weight training. And yoga itself is flexible in the sense that there is a broad variety of yoga styles, ranging from the intense, aerobic, and almost acrobatic practice of Ashtanga ("Power Yoga") to the more meditative style of Kripalu Yoga and the "Hot Yoga" (done in an overheated room).

YOGA FOR THOSE OVER 50
Those over 50 have found that a daily practice of yoga will keep old age at bay. Yoga transforms a negative approach to life into a positive dynamic one. It helps us to take care of ourselves at times of need. Practicing yoga also brings into play the body's natural ability to arrest the deteriorating process. It enables us to endure what cannot be cured and makes the entire cycle of life worth living. As quoted by Geeta S. Iyengar, author of Yoga, A Gem for Women, she states " Yoga is a gift for older people. One who studies yoga in the later years gains not only health and happiness, but also freshness of mind since yoga gives one a bright outlook on life. One can look forward to satisfying more healthful future rather than looking back into the past."

YOGA FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN
Children who suffer with ADD/ADHD, Autism, Cerebral Palsy or Down Syndrome are finding Yoga extremely beneficial. Sonia Sumar, author of Yoga For The Special Child has created a beautiful program for children with special needs. Usually taught in small numbers, these children are able to focus better, improve their balance and sociability as well as their communication and problem solving skills - results that are often not easily attained through conventional therapies. The classes focus on breathing exercises, yoga poses to simple game playing. Probably the most remarkable changes have been in terms of social interaction and how the child feels about their self. Usually when the child first takes a class they cannot name a single positive attribute about their self, but after a few yoga classes, they discover they are smart, strong, and can make friends, and they have no problem telling you so.

YOGA FOR HEALTH
There are so many benefits of Yoga related to the health of our bodies. Besides maintaining our general health and well being and physical conditioning it also helps with flexibility, mobility, boosting the immune system, chronic disorders, sleeplessness, coronary artery disease, pulmonary conditions, cancer (by improving the quality of life), allergies, headaches, and strains. Yoga also is useful for reducing blood pressure, relieving Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, lessening tension and lower back pain, lowering cholesterol, reducing bone loss through Osteoporosis, reducing medications and decreasing absenteeism.

Still, with so many benefits that yoga has to offer, most people are afraid to take that first step towards trying yoga. Their fears of what a typical class might be like prevents them from ever taking that first step in trying a class. Since there are so many varieties of yoga, the best advice for a beginner is that they start with the most basic yoga class. In a typical basic yoga class, the instructor focuses on teaching the student the different poses while concentrating on the student's alignment. Once the student feels comfortable with the poses and with the correct alignment, there are many different choices.

So what are you waiting for? Is one of the reasons you haven't tried yoga is that your schedule is too busy? You work, you take care of your family and when you get home, you are just too tired. Ironically, once you have dedicated time in your week for your daily practice of yoga, you will gain the benefits that millions of people are enjoying. Isn't it time you took care of you?

TOP TEN REASONS WHY I HAVEN'T TRIED YOGA

1. I'm not flexible
   Ironically, by practicing yoga you begin to develop a more flexible body. Yoga has positions that act upon the various joints of the body including those joints that are never really on the 'radar screen' let alone exercised. Likewise, the well-researched yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments. Surprisingly it has been found that the body which may have been quite rigid starts experiencing a remarkable flexibility in even those parts which have not been consciously worked upon.
2. I'm not in shape and am overweight
   Yoga is not for those just in shape. It is for all body types. It is non-competitive and you work only with your body and what its needs are. With a regular practice of yoga, you will find your body gaining strength, toning and changing.
3. I'm too old
   You are never too old for yoga. People in their 80's are practicing yoga and reaping the many benefits it has to offer.
4. I have a bad back
   Several yoga poses help strengthen the back and alleviate years of damage you have done to your back. Classes like Yin are just one of many that teach you stretches that work on the hamstrings (which are usually what causes the pain in the lower back) and thus enable you to feel better .
5. It's against my spiritual beliefs
   Contrary to what you might have heard, Yoga is not a practice that preaches any certain religion. People of ALL spiritual beliefs participate in yoga classes. Yoga is just about you and finding out what is inside of you. Yoga is the science of the soul.
6. I don't know how to relax
   By taking Yoga classes, you will learn how to relax. By slowly focusing on your breath and trying to shut off the world around you, you will begin the find that not only are you able to begin to relax on the mat, but off.
7. It's not a real workout
   Once you take a yoga class, you will realize that this statement is not true. Most people work up a sweat after only 15-20 minutes of yoga. In some classes, your heart rate can go up giving you a cardio workout as well as a deep stretching class .
8. I'd be the only guy in class
   With the increasing popularity, more men are joining in. Not only are they taking classes, but they are getting certified to teach a class. From ex-basketball players, to tennis players and even lawyers, yoga is where it is at.
9. I'm too busy
   How can you be too busy for something that is so good for you. Once you try a class, you will find the time to continue.
10. There's no place close that offers yoga
    If you live in or close to the Anthem area, a new yoga studio has just opened. Yoga For Everyone, located at 42212 N. 41 st Drive, Suite 105 in Anthem offers over 30 classes with 9 different instructors. Classes start as early as 8:45 a.m. and the last class is at 7:30 p.m. They also offer a few weekend classes. For a class schedule you can go to their website at www.yogaforeveryone.com or call them directly at 623-551-YOGA (9642). The Anthem Recreation Center also offers a Yoga Basics class.

YOGA IS NOT JUST WHAT YOU DO ON THE MAT.BUT OFF In yoga, there are 8 limbs (or eight steps) that basically act as guidelines on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. They serve as a prescription for moral and ethical conduct and self-discipline; they direct attention toward one's health; and they help us to acknowledge the spiritual aspects of our nature. They are: Yama - deals with one's ethical standards and sense of integrity, focusing on our behavior and how we conduct ourselves in life. Yamas are universal practices that relate best to what we know as the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The five yamas are: nonviolence, truthfulness, nonstealing, self control, non-covetousness.

Niyama - has to do with self-discipline and spiritual observances. Regularly attending temple or church services, saying grace before meals, developing your own personal meditation practices, or making a habit of taking contemplative walks alone are all examples of niyamas in practice. The niyamas include cleanliness, contentment spiritual austerities, study of the sacred scriptures and of one's self, surrender to God.

Asana - the postures practiced in yoga, comprise the third limb. In the yogic view, the body is a temple of spirit, the care of which is an important stage of our spiritual growth. Through the practice of asanas, we develop the habit of discipline and the ability to concentrate, both of which are necessary for meditation.

Pranayama - Generally translated as breath control, this fourth stage consists of techniques designed to gain mastery over the respiratory process while recognizing the connection between the breath, the mind, and the emotions. As implied by the literal translation of pranayama, "life force extension," yogis believe that it not only rejuvenates the body but actually extends life itself. You can practice pranayama as an isolated technique (i.e., simply sitting and performing a number of breathing exercises), or integrate it into your daily hatha yoga routine. 

Pratyahara - This means withdrawal or sensory transcendence. It is during this stage that we make the conscious effort to draw our awareness away from the external world and outside stimuli. Keenly aware of, yet cultivating a detachment from, our senses, we direct our attention internally. The practice of pratyahara provides us with an opportunity to step back and take a look at ourselves. This withdrawal allows us to objectively observe our cravings: habits that are perhaps detrimental to our health and which likely interfere with our inner growth.

Dharana - As each stage prepares us for the next, the practice of pratyahara creates the setting for dharana, or concentration. Having relieved ourselves of outside distractions, we can now deal with the distractions of the mind itself. No easy task! In the practice of concentration, which precedes meditation, we learn how to slow down the thinking process by concentrating on a single mental object: a specific energetic center in the body, an image of a deity, or the silent repetition of a sound. We, of course, have already begun to develop our powers of concentration in the previous three stages of posture, breath control, and withdrawal of the senses. In asana and pranayama, although we pay attention to our actions, our attention travels. Our focus constantly shifts as we fine-tune the many nuances of any particular posture or breathing technique. In pratyahara we become self-observant; now, in dharana, we focus our attention on a single point. Extended periods of concentration naturally lead to meditation.

Dhyana - Meditation or contemplation, the seventh stage of ashtanga, is the uninterrupted flow of concentration. Although concentration (dharana) and meditation ( dhyana ) may appear to be one and the same, a fine line of distinction exists between these two stages. Where dharana practices one-pointed attention, dhyana is ultimately a state of being keenly aware without focus. At this stage, the mind has been quieted, and in the stillness it produces few or no thoughts at all. The strength and stamina it takes to reach this state of stillness is quite impressive. But don't give up. While this may seem a difficult if not impossible task, remember that yoga is a process. Even though we may not attain the "picture perfect" pose, or the ideal state of consciousness, we benefit at every stage of our progress.

Samadhi - Patanjali describes this eighth and final stage of ashtanga as a state of ecstasy. At this stage, the meditator merges with his or her point of focus and transcends the Self altogether. The meditator comes to realize a profound connection to the Divine, an interconnectedness with all living things. With this realization comes the "peace that passeth all understanding"; the experience of bliss and being at one with the Universe. On the surface, this may seem to be a rather lofty, "holier than thou" kind of goal. However, if we pause to examine what we really want to get out of life, would not joy, fulfillment, and freedom somehow find their way onto our list of hopes, wishes, and desires? What Patanjali has described as the completion of the yogic path is what, deep down, all human beings aspire to: peace. We also might give some thought to the fact that this ultimate stage of yoga-enlightenment-can neither be bought nor possessed. It can only be experienced, the price of which is the continual devotion of the aspirant.